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Coronavirus pandemic: Updates from around the world

By Nectar Gan, Brett McKeehan, Rob Picheta and Amir Vera, CNN

Updated 0010 GMT (0810 HKT) July 12, 2020

12 Posts

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5:20 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Los Angeles Apparel factory ordered closed after over 300 coronavirus cases and 4 deaths

From CNN's Sarah Moon and Jon Passantino

A garment manufacturer in downtown Los Angeles with more than 300 employees infected by the coronavirus has been ordered closed after an investigation into the deaths of four workers, county health officials said Friday.

The Los Angeles Apparel had three deaths in June and one in July, prompting an investigation, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced in a statement.

"The death of four dedicated garment workers is heartbreaking and tragic," said Dr. Barbara Ferrer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. "Business owners and operators have a corporate, moral and social responsibility to their employees and their families to provide a safe work environment."

Los Angeles Apparel was founded in 2016 by Canadian businessman Dov Charney, who previously founded American Apparel. It was first shut down on June 27 after violating the county's mandatory health orders. The company failed to cooperate with the health department's investigation of a reported coronavirus outbreak, health officials said.

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Los Angeles Apparel factory ordered closed after over 300 coronavirus cases and 4 deaths

4:24 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

68% of patients at a New York clinic have tested positive for coronavirus antibodies

From CNN's Jacqueline Howard and Amir Vera

People lining up at a CityMD clinic on May 20 in Lincoln Center, New York. John Nacion/STAR MAX/IPx/AP

New data suggests that working-class and minority neighborhoods hit hardest by coronavirus in the borough of Queens in New York are now overwhelmingly testing positive for antibodies.

But that data doesn't mean those who have antibodies are immune.

The data, first reported by The New York Times Thursday, shows that more than 68% of people tested positive for antibodies at a clinic in Corona, Queens, while 56% tested positive at another clinic in Jackson Heights, Queens. CityMD, which operates dozens of walk-in clinics in New York, confirmed the data to the Times and CNN.

While these two working-class neighborhoods saw high numbers for their antibody tests, only 13% of people tested positive for antibodies at a clinic in Cobble Hill, a mostly white and wealthy neighborhood in Brooklyn. The data suggest that while minority and working-class communities were hit hard by the virus, they may be first to build immunity.

"When you're looking at a large population of people and a large percentage of those people are technically immune to a virus, you could start thinking it'll be almost impossible for the virus to penetrate and for people to get sick," said Dr. Daniel Frogel, senior vice president of medical operations at CityMD.

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68% of a New York clinic's patients test positive for coronavirus antibodies

3:36 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Florida man and his sons charged with selling toxic chemical as a coronavirus cure

From CNN's Pierre Mielhan and Leah Asmelash

Three months after US President Donald Trump suggested ingesting disinfectants as a treatment for coronavirus, a Florida man and his three sons are facing criminal charges for allegedly selling a toxic solution to tens of thousands of people as a cure for Covid-19.

Mark Grenon, 62, and his sons allegedly manufactured, promoted and sold "Miracle Mineral Solution," a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water, according to the criminal complaint affidavit.

The men sold the toxic bleach under the guise of Genesis II Church of Health and Healing, an entity they allegedly created in an attempt to avoid government regulation, the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement.

They've been charged with criminal contempt, conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for their alleged actions, the US Attorney's Office said.

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Florida man and his sons charged with selling toxic chemical as a coronavirus cure to thousands

4:52 p.m. ET, July 11, 2020

One in four US teachers at greater risk from the coronavirus

From CNN's Tami Luhby

Nearly 1.5 million teachers in the United States are at higher risk of serious illness if they contract the coronavirus, according to an analysis released Friday.

These teachers and instructors, about 24% of the total, suffer from health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease or obesity, or are older than 65, which make them more vulnerable, the Kaiser Family Foundation report found.

The share of teachers at high risk based on criteria identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the same as for workers overall, Kaiser said. Schools face the challenge of high traffic and tight quarters, which could make social distancing difficult.

The analysis comes as the nation is engulfed in a debate over whether it's safe to bring children back into the classroom this fall. This week, President Donald Trump ramped up the pressure on state officials to reopen schools, threatening to withhold federal funding.

But many teachers and parents remain concerned about being able to keep children and their instructors safe, especially as the number of cases surges across the nation.

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One in four teachers at greater risk from coronavirus

4:51 p.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Another record daily increase in US Covid-19 cases

A nurse administers a coronavirus test in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 10. Nati Harnik/AP

The US had a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day Friday, with 63,900 reported, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

There have now been at least 3,181,846 cases of the coronavirus in the US -- a quarter of the global total -- including 134,059 related deaths.

This includes cases from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and other US territories, as well as repatriated cases.

Friday’s total eclipsed the previous high reached just a day earlier, when 63,247 new coronavirus cases were reported across the country.

CNN’s map is tracking the US cases here.

1:28 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Australia's Victoria state reports 216 new Covid-19 cases

From CNN's Angus Watson and Sophie Jeong

Police officers and health care workers outside a locked-down public housing tower in Melbourne, Australia, on July 8. James Ross/AAP/AP

The Australian state of Victoria recorded 216 new coronavirus cases Friday, Premier Daniel Andrews announced Saturday.

Of the new cases, 186 remain under investigation. The other 30 have been linked to known outbreaks.

On Thursday, Victoria reported 288 fresh cases -- the most in a single day in any Australian state since the pandemic began.

“We will see more and more additional cases,” Andrews said. “Steps we've taken as a Victorian community this week won't be reflected in the numbers until next week and the week after. That's just the nature of how this virus moves.”

The neighboring state of New South Wales posted seven new cases on Friday, its health department said.

12:44 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

WHO chief blasts "lack of leadership" and calls for global unity

From CNN's Rob Picheta

World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaks at a press conference at its head office in Geneva on July 3. Kyodo News/Getty Images

The director-general of the World Health Organization has condemned a "lack of leadership" in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and made an emotional plea for global unity, as cases soar in multiple countries and the world struggles to contain the devastating virus more than six months after it was first identified.

"My friends, make no mistake: The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a passionate speech in Geneva on Thursday. "Rather, it's the lack of leadership and solidarity at the global and national levels."

His intervention will be seen as a thinly veiled swipe at leaders including US President Donald Trump, who has waged a public battle against the WHO while failing to suppress the world's worst Covid-19 outbreak in his own country.

"This is a tragedy that is forcing us to miss many of our friends, losing many lives. We cannot defeat this pandemic as a divided world," Tedros said, his voice trembling as he spoke.

Read the full story:

WHO chief blasts lack of global leadership as Covid-19 cases mount worldwide

12:35 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Costa Rica to establish "epidemiological fence" around the capital to slow coronavirus spread

From CNN's Marlon Sorto and Taylor Barnes

Medical workers secure a Covid-19 test sample in San Jose, Costa Rica, on July 10. Ezequiel Becerra/AFP/Getty Images

Costa Rica announced Friday that an “epidemiological fence” will be put in place around the metropolitan region of its capital San José in a bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Vehicle traffic will be severely restricted in the "orange alert" area around and including the capital. Cars will be restricted by license plate numbers to only two specific days a week. Only essential businesses, such as ones involved in food provision and funeral services, are allowed to function.

"At this point in the pandemic, the time to use the hammer has come," President Carlos Alvarado Quesada said. "Why do we have to do this? We have to do so because health is the priority. We are prioritizing the lives of people in Costa Rica."

The country has reported a total of 6,845 Covid-19 cases so far.

12:27 a.m. ET, July 11, 2020

Mexico to repatriate ashes of more than 200 Covid-19 victims in US

From CNN’s Taylor Barnes

Mexican Air Force pilots fly a C-130 airplane to transport medical supplies to Hermosillo, Mexico on July 3. Claudio Cruz/AFP/Getty Images

A Mexican Air Force plane will fly the ashes of more than 200 Mexican citizens who died of Covid-19 in the US from New York City to Mexico City on Saturday, according to a statement from the Mexican foreign ministry.

From Mexico City, the remains will be transported to locations across the country.

The ministry wrote in a statement that it will “continue providing consular services to the families of Mexican persons who have passed away due to the virus.”